River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-06-16
ROSECRANS AND THOMAS.

been able to attend only .hree, at In
dianapoGs and Cleveland, the last at
Cincinnati, and the present one here;
so have not been able to give you
many ofthe stories of which Gen. Sher-
man tells you | am so full. But there
are three matters of history of which,
did time permit, should like to speak
to you.
One of these subjects is called to mind
BY what our eloquent orator TCol
DuIlieldl has said concerning the rela-
ti-ns between myself and our Gen
Thomas, of whom you know | have
said, in an official report: ''He is the
cheyalier sans peur ct sans reproche Of
our army"
1t seems all the more proper since in
a book, recently published, is an IN
timation that lie served under me with
Il feeling Of conscious superiority,
which through singular self-abnegation
he subordinated to the public veal
FOR THE TRUTH OF HISTORY
| win state that on the 30th day OF De-
tober, 1862, I assumed command of the
troops heretofore under Gen. Buell..
which had been ordered to rendezvous
at Bowling Green, Ky. On the arrival
of Gen. Thomas's command hercported
at headquarters, and we had a long talk
/ said "Gen. Thomas, without my
seeking or the Intervention of friends,
influence, or otherwise, l have been or
dered TO this command by our common
superior. You, McCook and Critten-
den have been with it from the begin
ming, Whatever in the future it shall
do for the good of the country will de
pend greatly on the cordial co-opcra-
ton of its commanders. You and |
have been friends for many years, and
shall especially need your support and
advice.
He said: General there is no man
under whom ! would rather serve than
under you, but il seems improper that,
except in some real emergency, SEN
ior should serve under y junior. | had
an impression that yonr appointment
was junior to mine, and thought OF
asking to be sent to Texas, where ]
formerly served with my regiment, be-
lieying that on account of my knowl--
edge of the country | could be especi
ally useful there
| said: My appointment as Major
General of Volunteers was originally
dated ON the 10th of last August, but
apparently in contemplation of the de-
tail has been antedated to the 18th or
20th Of last month, while my commits
sion rs Brigadier in the Regular Army
is older than most of those of the Bri-
gadiers of Volunteers.
He replied, That removes the only
objection to serving under your com
mand.
| said Il shall organize this com
mand into three grand divisions, and
you can have command of the center,
composed of four divisions of infantry,
with appropriate artillery, or you may
be my second in command and eXecu-
tive officer You think it over and
take your choice.
He chose to take the grand division
of the enter (after Stone River the
Fourteenth Corps, and always served
with the utmost cordiality and good
will. After we had Chattanooga, and
about the second week in October.
1877, Gen Garfield brought me a per-
sonal message, which Gen. Thomas
asked him to give me, in preference to
any other method of communication.
Tell Gen. Rosccrans that should he
be relieved from the command of the
army / should regard it as great
wrong to the interests of our country
and a great injustice to him. and would
be unwilling longer to serve here and
should ask to be sent elsewhere. To
which message and feeling Garfield
added his own concurrence.
| told Gen. Garfield TO assure Gen.
Thomas how much / appreciated his
loyal and friendly feeling, and that
whatever might happen my friendship
for him would remain unaltered-
About a fortnight later, and while we
were urging forward our preparations
for taking control of the south side of
the river. between it and Bridgeport, to
establish railway and water commu-
between us and the end of the
Nashville d Chattanooga Railway, on
the afternoon of the 10th of October,
/ S63, took with me Gen. w f. (Baldy)
Smith, Chief of Engineers on my staff,
rode over one of our pontoon bridges
and ;.cross the Peninsula, to the vicinity
OF Browns Ferry. and explained to him
how as soon rs Capt Fox had completed
the pontOons, bearers and flooring, we
should throw bridge across the river
al Browns Ferry, so as to assure free
with HoOker's COM
mand, who had been instructed to hurry
mp his transportation, and furnished
with map of explanation, so that he
would be able to feed his command at
or near Wauhatchie, and thus cover the
line of the railroad and the river be-
tween as and Bridgeport. told him
that as soon rs the material was ready
we would decide how to transport it
secretly to the required point.
On my return. about dark l found
awaiting me telegrams-one relieving
me from the command Of the Army OF
the Cumberland. one assigning Gen.
Thomas as my successor, from +. NJ.
Stanton, the Secretary Of War, and
third from Gen. Grant enjoining Thomas
to hold on to Chattanooga until he could
get up
Comrades, YOU can imagine how
this last appeared TO us, who, bet er
than any. knew its cost to our army
and the value If its possession to the
Union.
You know with what scorn we looked
upon the suggestion Of the possibility
If our abandoning what we made our
for.
went to my tent and sent word to
Thomas to come over, and he came,
and s.hen We 20; into my private quar-
Eers passed the papers over to him.
He read them and turned very pale.
His bosom heaved and ! saw the explo-
sion that was coming, but before he
sould give it vent stopped him.
Thomas, I got the message you sent
ne BIZ Gen. Garfield. and I hope you
mine / told him to tell you
hat whatever happened nothing could
break the friendship between rs. But
ron have got to take this command.